The Frith: SHABBAT DINNER

Friday, July 07, 2006

SHABBAT DINNER

TONIGHT WE HAD SHABBAT DINNER AT OMI'S HOUSE WITH HER FRIENDS MICHAEL AND DEBBIE, AND THEIR LITTLE SON BENJAMIN. BEFORE EVERYONE ARRIVED, FRITH PLAYED A COUPLE OF ROUNDS OF HER FAVOURITE GAME - "TAKE EVERYTHING OUT OF MAMA'S PURSE". THEN SHE SCREAMED FOR ABOUT FORTY-FIVE MINUTES, AND FINALLY SIMMERED DOWN IN TIME TO GREET THE GUESTS WITH A LARGE FRITH-SHAPED SMILE.

DEBBIE AND OMI LED US IN THE BLESSING OF THE CANDLE WHICH BEGINS "Baruch ata Adonai" AND MICHAEL LED US IN THE BLESSING OF THE WINE (WHICH BEGINS THE SAME WAY). 3 YEAR OLD BENJAMIN LED US IN THE BLESSING OVER THE CHALLAH (SPECIAL BRAIDED EGG-BREAD) AND THEN WE ATE MATZO-BALL SOUP AND CHICKEN (SALMON FOR MAMA).

AFTERWARDS, MICHAEL PLAYED HIS GUITAR AND SANG A FEW QUIET JEWISH SONGS, AND THEN A SONG BY CAT STEVENS. THE FRITH WAS DEEPLY AND THOROUGHLY SPELLBOUND, FROM THE MOMENT MICHAEL'S FINGERS TOUCHED THE STRINGS. A MORE COMPLETELY CAPTIVE AUDIENCE A MUSICIAN COULDN'T POSSIBLY EVER HOPE FOR. IT WAS, QUITE SIMPLY, ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THINGS I'VE EVER SEEN. I BELIEVE THIS LITTLE GIRL HAS MUSIC RIDING DEEP IN THE RIVER OF HER SOUL.

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DERIVING FROM THE ANCIENT WORD "PRIYAS" MEANING "ONE'S OWN", FRITH'S ORIGINAL MEANING WAS PROBABLY SOMETHING LIKE "THE PEACE ENJOYED WHILE AMONG ONE'S OWN FAMILY OR TRIBE" .. FRITH IS OFTEN TRANSLATED SIMPLY AS "PEACE".

THE FULL MEANING OF FRITH ENCOMPASSES PEACE BUT EXTENDS WELL BEYOND IT, TO COVER A LARGE PORTION OF THE MOST MEANINGFUL AND ESSENTIAL FOUNDATIONS OF HUMAN SOCIAL LIFE. THE TERM FRITH CAPTURED A HUGE PROPORTION OF EVERYTHING GOOD THAT COULD EXIST IN LIFE, AND ALL OF THESE GREW OUT OF THE ROOTS OF THE KINDRED ITSELF -- THE KINDRED RELATIONSHIP.

ANCIENT VIKINGS WOULD INVOKE AN AGREEMENT AMONG ALL PRESENT THAT ARGUMENTS AND DISAGREEMENTS ARE LEFT 'OUTSIDE' THE DOOR DURING CELEBRATION : A 'PROMISE' TO KEEP FRITH. ANYBODY WHO DID NOT RESPECT THIS WOULD HAVE LOST FACE AND ALSO HONOUR. IN THE OLDEN DAYS ONE WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE ALL WEAPONS OUTSIDE, TO ENSURE THAT DISCUSSIONS DIDN'T END IN BLOODSHED. SO FRITH IS AN AGREEMENT AMONG SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO RESPECT EACH OTHER TO KEEP 'PEACE'.

FRITH DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE SHOULD ALL GET ALONG; IT MEANS THAT WE SHOULD ALL STAND, AND ACT, FOR SOMETHING REAL AND MEANINGFUL, AND THAT THOSE OF US WHO FIND OURSELVES STANDING FOR ENOUGH OF THE SAME IMPORTANT THINGS SHOULD STAND TOGETHER, IN LIFELONG COMMITMENTS WITHOUT CONSTANTLY WEIGHING THE BENEFITS AGAINST THE COSTS.

IN ESSENCE, FRITH IS NOT AN ABSENCE, BUT A PRESENCE. IT IS NOT THE ABSENCE OF STRIFE; RATHER IT FILLS THE SPACES BETWEEN PEOPLE WITH SOMETHING THAT IS STRONGER AND MORE IMPORTANT, MORE MEANINGFUL, THAN STRIFE.

FRITH IS AN ACTIVE, DELIBERATE, MINDFUL PEACE.